Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for July 2007
31/07/2007
Boyes Rees Architects has won three projects in the health sector, collaboratively worth £87 million. The award-winning architects will be working as a member of Interserve Health Wales’ team, part of Interserve Project Services Ltd, on three projects in the South and West Wales area, awarded under
31/07/2007
The urgent need to secure funding for the regeneration of the National Construction College (NCC) in Bircham Newton, has moved one step closer after months of negotiations with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The NCC presented its proposals to industry at the CITB-ConstructionSkills board on
31/07/2007
A new concept in plumbing and heating supply has been launched by plumbers merchant William Wilson, designed to provide customers with a simple, hassle free trading experience. William Wilson Express has been developed as a new business within less than a year by the leading national supplier, head
31/07/2007
Inverurie-based Earthwise Scotland has scored a first for green energy in Scotland with its range of environmentally-friendly heat pumps. In a major new ‘green’ initiative by the Scottish Executive, the company is the first in Scotland to be awarded full accreditation as an approved installer for a
31/07/2007
Industry currently accounts for around 55% of CO2 emissions while in comparison commercial air travel accounts for 5% of the CO2 emissions in the UK. This presents industry with a tough challenge in an ever more competitive, environmentally sensitive global market. Industry can reduce these emissio
31/07/2007
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has today advised all estate agents in England and Wales that a failure to comply with the new Home Information Packs (HIPs) regulations could result in a ban from estate agency work. From 1 August 2007, all homes for sale with four or more bedrooms in England and W
31/07/2007
Work to build 45 private retirement apartments on the site of the old Scout Hall in Clarkston is underway. Bob King, McCarthy & Stone’s site manager for the £5 million development on the junction of Mearns Road and Hillview Drive, is pleased with progress. “The ground floor slabs are down and ever
31/07/2007
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning anyone having gas appliances fitted or serviced to ensure the engineer they are using is competent and CORGI registered. The warning comes after a Cynon Valley man was jailed for four months for carrying out work in breach of a prohibition notice iss
30/07/2007
The South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA) has once again exceeded its expectations, with new figures published by BERR today showing that its performance had helped boost economic development in South West England. For the 2006/07 financial year, figures just released show that th
30/07/2007
Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group, has secured two contracts with a combined value of £6.5 million to construct two new commercial developments in Altens, Aberdeen. The largest value contract involves the £3.7 million negotiated design and construction of a three-storey, 36,000
30/07/2007
The RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) in Northern Ireland has a new Director. The 3,000 member branch of the world-leading body for land, property and construction professionals has appointed Ben Collins to the high-level post. Mr Collins - a former government information officer and
30/07/2007
Reducing on-site waste, using sustainable materials, and increasing skills in the workforce are just some of the targets set out for the construction industry in a draft Government and Industry Sustainable Construction Strategy. The proposed joint strategy, launched today for consultation, aims to
30/07/2007
Bedfordshire County Council today welcomed £2 million worth of funding from the Department of Transport, which will help towards the overall construction costs of the much needed Bedford Western bypass. The County Council has promoted the scheme and bid for the Government funding. Work on the £24
30/07/2007
Former Scottish Football Association Chief Executive Jim Farry is carving out a new career with one of Scotland’s fastest growing commercial interiors contracting specialists. He is using the negotiating skills he learned in the nine years he was in one of football’s toughest jobs, to help akp Scot
30/07/2007
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced a competition to run a new gas installer registration scheme aimed at beefing-up domestic gas safety standards. The new scheme is set to bring benefits to both gas consumers and gas installers across Great Britain. Health and Safety Minister, Lord
30/07/2007
Three Midlothian leisure facilities get the local community moving following a major investment programme. The successful launch of two newly refurbished Midlothian leisure centres along with brand new facilities at a local football ground saw record numbers of visitors and increased membership num
30/07/2007
Homeowners and businesses are being encouraged to adopt clean-energy technologies. HI-Energy - established by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to promote the renewable energy sector throughout the region – has launched a series of factsheets which provide detailed information on microgenerati
30/07/2007
The next generation in modular floor covering systems are now available in Ireland. Swiss designed and manufactured, Swisstrax interlocking floor tiles are the ultimate solution for covering cracked, chipped or stained concrete floors. These modular floor tiles are an easy and quick installation so
27/07/2007
Robertson Construction Tayside Limited has started construction work on four out of a total of six primary schools. The primary schools are being built as part of a PPP programme for Dundee City Council, which encompasses six primaries and two secondary schools, and will provide attractive modern fa
27/07/2007
Glasgow-based building contractor and project manager McKeating Ltd has been awarded a prestigious Investors in People Award in recognition of its commitment to its staff and facilitating continuous improvement. The official presentation of the award to the firm’s managing director, Liam McKeating,
27/07/2007
Scottish Renewables, the green energy trade body, has said Ofgem, the industry regulator, will undermine Scotland’s effort in the fight against climate change if it approves plans to reduce the competitiveness of Scottish generation in the UK market. All large projects and many small ones, includin
27/07/2007
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging business in Wales to put good health and safety practice at the top of their list of priorities as statistics show the provisional number of fatalities in Wales in 2006/07 has increased slightly over the previous 12-month period. The figures, released
26/07/2007
Two Cardiff based building companies have been wound up by the High Court, following an investigation by Companies Investigation Branch (CIB) of the Insolvency Service. Whitestone Management Limited (“Whitestone”), began trading in late 2003, and was a successor to a number of previous building com
26/07/2007
Works to strengthen Trelock Bridge in Cornwall, carrying the Unclassified U6017 road between Nancledra and Trembethow will begin on 6 August 2007. The grade II listed bridge is to be strengthened as part of Cornwall County Council programme to upgrade weak structures within Cornwall. The strengthe
26/07/2007
Launching the latest work-related fatal injury statistics today, Health and Safety Commission (HSC) Chair Sir Bill Callaghan said the loss of 241 lives is unacceptable and issued a fresh challenge to industry to place safety at the top of its priorities and do more to protect the work force. Sir Bi
26/07/2007
Leaders from all over Fife came together to think about what the future holds for the region and how they can shape it. Examining a major question facing Fife, migrant labour, they considered the impact it is having on the region. Thirty of Fife's decision-makers heard from Mike Wilson, Chief Execut
26/07/2007
The only Scottish architectural practice shortlisted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to design the £10m British Pavilion for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai is being showcased at London’s V&A in an exhibition. draw architects is one of six companies chosen from 47 entrants to develop concept
26/07/2007
Miller Developments has appointed Julia Deans to the role of Development Surveyor to work in the team specialising in its Mixed-Use and Change of Use developments across Scotland and the north of England. The appointment of Julia coincides with Bruce Lindsay’s promotion to the position of Devel
26/07/2007
Devon County Council’s Climate Change Roadshow will continue its tour of the county by visiting the Honiton Show next week. The roadshow is supporting the ‘Do It For Devon’ campaign aimed at reducing domestic carbon emissions. It will be at the Honiton Show on Thursday 2 August. Expert staff will
26/07/2007
Plans to improve the region’s rail network published in the Government’s White Paper are right on track – but more detail is needed before the impact on South West England can be fully assessed. This is the view of the South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA) which welcomed the Gover
25/07/2007
Liverpool Football Club today unveiled plans for a new 60,000-seater stadium at Stanley Park. An official planning application was submitted to Liverpool City Council. American architects HKS are responsible for the designs which will hold 60,000 fans which could be extended to 80,000 in the future
25/07/2007
Europe’s only pre-First World War airship hangar and a 19th Century colliery have been named among Britain’s most endangered buildings. English Heritage’s Buildings at Risk Register have also named a further 50 new entries of buildings considered most under threat. It is estimated about £400 milli
25/07/2007
Lewis & Hickey architects has promoted a number of staff across its Scottish operations, reflecting the outstanding contribution each individual has made to the firm in recent years. In its Edinburgh office, which currently employs around 40 staff, Emily Forde has been promoted to director of inter
25/07/2007
Fast growing environmental land consultancy LK Group has opened its first Scottish office off the back of growing demand for its services, and directors are confident of creating 20 new jobs over the next few months. The Scottish division will be headed by Dr Robert Muir, who was previously Senior
25/07/2007
Northern Ireland Water (NIW) is issuing a last chance call to Engineers to apply for their Engineering Recruitment Programme. With the recent change to a Government-Owned Company (Go-Co), it is an exciting time to join the new organisation, which is one of the largest employers in Northern Ireland.
25/07/2007
A report into microgeneration in Wales by SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the building services engineering sector, has revealed a lack of skilled workers and warns the country may be left behind in the race to gain a share in the renewable energy market, unless steps are taken now. Sum
25/07/2007
The Gateshead Housing Company is set to ask its Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) customers across the borough how it can make services even more accessible. The company, which manages over 22,000 homes across Gateshead, is asking for the views at a series of forums being held until the end of the ye
25/07/2007
Marshalls plc, the UK’s leading hard landscaping manufacturer, has launched a new hybrid safety paving - PlayPave. Blending the robustness and durability of a Marshalls’ concrete paving slab with a 25mm top layer of rubber, the company has created the perfect solution for a safe protective surface t
24/07/2007
Precision-engineered timber frame systems from Kingspan Off-Site have been used to construct 15 luxury apartments on the outskirts of Manchester. The systems were chosen by housebuilders Sailbridge Homes for the speed and flexibility of build offered. The Millside development is a three-storey buil
24/07/2007
Women in the Highlands are flying the flag for females in trades by helping to plug the national skills shortage. Inverness College UHI reported a 40% increase in applications for construction-related subjects from women over the past six years, in areas including Carpentry, Painting and Decorating
24/07/2007
NHBC, the leading consumer protection body for new home construction in the UK has welcomed the government’s announcement that consumer protection must not be sacrificed for speed in meeting housing targets. Imtiaz Farookhi, NHBC’s Chief Executive said: “The Green Paper presents a positive set of n
24/07/2007
The government has backed plans to build a new Brighton and Hove Albion FC multi-million pound stadium at Falmer. Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Hazel Blears has written to Falmer Parish Council to say she supports the stadium. Brighton and Hove Albion, the Coca-Cola Leagu
24/07/2007
After its huge success last year, Grand Designs Live NEC will make a welcome return to the Midlands this October, meeting the demand from exhibitors and visitors living in the Heart of England. The 2007 show promises to be bigger and better with new show-stopping features, more celebrities and coun
24/07/2007
Homeowners and businesses are being encouraged to adopt clean-energy technologies. HI-Energy - established by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to promote the renewable energy sector throughout the region – has launched a series of factsheets which provide detailed information on microgenerati
24/07/2007
Bilsthorpe construction company Woodhead has helped public sector client, Nottinghamshire County Council to achieve Highly Commended status in last week’s 2007 Awards for Excellence in Local Government Public Private Partnership. The Council was praised for the Children’s Centres Construction progr
24/07/2007
Around 35,000 jobs in the construction sector are set to be lost over the next 18 months, an economic forecast from Davy Stockbrokers has revealed. However, the Irish company has predicted that these losses will be compensated by 20,000 new jobs in building of infrastructure and commercial property
24/07/2007
Energy company Action Renewables is preparing to showcase renewable energy and climate change issues to the region at The Green Living Fair, Plumbridge on 29 July 2007. With government grants of up to 50% available, Dan Sinton, Deputy Principal of Energy Division in DETI, said: “People are really c
23/07/2007
With thousands of would-be apprentices still struggling to find employers, ConstructionSkills is urging the construction industry to take on apprentices or risk falling further behind competitor countries such as France and Germany. Currently 28% of school leavers in England and Wales enrol in appr
23/07/2007
With the incentive of a record £140million in CITB-ConstructionSkills Grants available this year, construction employers are being encouraged to develop their workforce and improve their business through quality training. The record level of training grants available from 1st August 2007, is a mark
23/07/2007
A series of twelve regional stakeholders events are being held over the summer to capture the views of green groups, energy companies and businesses. The government’s discussion with the public about the country’s future energy moved up a gear today with the first event which took place in Newcastl
23/07/2007
A £300 million development scheme on the former Corus steelworks in Ebbw Vale has been officially approved. The plan, called ‘The Works’ will take around 10 years to develop, and once complete around 2,000 people will be employed. A 107-bed Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan hHspital, primary school, leisure ce
23/07/2007
A disused building on Belfast’s Ormeau Avenue is to be transformed into an upmarket aparthotel, bar and grillroom. Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie today announced that Nicholas and Paul Hill have been selected as the Department’s preferred developer for the former Armagh House building
23/07/2007
A major redevelopment scheme, which will see each of Bristol’s 330 outdated prefabs demolished and replaced with modern, accessible places to live, has reached a major milestone with tenants beginning to move into the first complete new homes. Six new bungalows are currently being built on the Walt
23/07/2007
The Forth Rail Bridge is to close for one week while essential repair work is carried out. Thousands of commuters will face disruption as engineers carry out repair work at Inverkeithing junction as part of a £4 million investment in Fife’s rail infrastructure. Until the bridge reopens on Monday 3
23/07/2007
Plans by BP to resume storage of petrol and diesel at the Buncefield oil depot have been criticised by local business and council leaders. Nineteen months ago, the terminal in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire was the site of Europe’s largest peacetime explosion. Fire crews fought the blaze for four
20/07/2007
Tony Douglas, the Chief Executive of Heathrow airport has announced he will be resigning to join construction firm Laing O’Rourke. His departure comes just months after Mr Douglas acknowledged that the world’s busiest airport was “bursting at the seems” and in “some places is held together with sti
20/07/2007
Bovis Lend Lease has launched a new training company to address the increasing skills shortage in the construction industry. Be Onsite, a not-for-profit organisation has been created to offer on-site, industry specific training and employment. It is in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, Construction
20/07/2007
Award winning architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley, have been appointed by The South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA) in conjunction with the Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company (GHURC) to prepare the first stage of a feasibility study on the redevelopment of the Blackfriars
20/07/2007
A £7 million leisure centre will replace Dorchester’s ageing swimming pool under a plan agreed by local councils and the Thomas Hardye School. The centre would boast a six-lane pool with public swimming at all times, a learner pool, spectator seating, fitness suite, studio and improved access for d
20/07/2007
Five school building projects in Bristol have gone £7.9 million over budget, it has emerged. A councillor responsible for the city’s schools revealed the largest overspend is at Redland Green School. The costs originally estimated at £30.5m, have risen to £36.4m. Other school overspends include Fa
20/07/2007
Plans to extend a wind farm at Pendine have been given the go ahead by Carmarthenshire councillors. The planning committee met today and approved the application to build and operate six wind turbines at Parc Cynog Farm, Castle Lloyd Farm and Westmead Farm, Pendine. Planning liaison officer David
19/07/2007
Work is set to resume on the Seven Mile House Bridge over the A1 near Seaton Burn in the North East in the week commencing 30 July with some preparatory work on the A1 during the previous week. Andrew Jennings of the Highways Agency said: “We have worked hard to find a solution that would minimise
19/07/2007
Aberdeen City Council has voted in favour of the conversion of Marischal College into its new corporate headquarters. City councillors voted by 23 votes to eight, with one abstention, to endorse the council’s previous decision in 2005 to breathe new life into the granite building. The new budget f
19/07/2007
Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Competitiveness, today announced the re-appointments of four existing members of the Board of North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA). John Merry and Peter Hensman will take up their three-year re-appointments on 14 December 2007 until 13 December 2010. B
19/07/2007
Landowners in the North Wiltshire area are being urged to take advantage of a voluntary land registration initiative that will offer them certainty and security about the property they own. The initiative is part of a drive by Land Registry – the government department responsible for registering la
19/07/2007
Work gets underway this week on a £1.6 million scheme to boost the economy of Exmoor and West Somerset, thanks to a partnership between Somerset County Council and West Somerset Council. Contractors are moving in to begin the construction of the Barle Enterprise Centre in Dulverton. The Project wi
19/07/2007
Labour costs for the London 2012 Olympics site may add an extra £240 million on to the cost, industry experts have warned. One employment expert told ‘Contract Journal’ the demands for direct employment would send the wage bill soaring. “You are talking about an extra 20% at least on the wages bil
19/07/2007
Taxpayers face a bill of hundreds of millions of pounds after one of London’s biggest Tube maintenance firms entered administration yesterday. Metronet, the company behind a £17bn Tube maintenance programme called in administrators amid serious financial problems. London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s Tr
19/07/2007
Welsh steel manufacturers Corus have announced plans to cut almost 100 jobs at its plant in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. The 94 redundancies at Trostre were announced following the earlier decision to shed 212 jobs from the Llawnwern plant in May. Corus Packaging Plus (CPP) declared a 120,000 tonnes
18/07/2007
James & Taylor, the UK’s leading supplier of building facades, has won a contract to provide an innovative design for a £26m college project in Glasgow that uses an ‘invisible’ fixing system. Catriona McReynolds, senior architect at RMJM said: “North Glasgow College is a ne
18/07/2007
The new campus for the John Wheatley College in the east end of Glasgow has opened on time and within budget. The building was designed by ABK Architects and Buro Happold. The John Wheatley College building has been designed as an exemplar low carbon, further education campus building and sets new
18/07/2007
The management team of Space Solutions (Scotland) Ltd has bought the business from the Chess Group of Companies for an undisclosed sum. After one of the most successful years in its ten year history, the Scottish architecture and space planning business will now be an independent company led by the
13/07/2007
Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group, has secured two contracts with a combined value of £6.5 million to construct two new commercial developments in Altens, Aberdeen. The largest value contract involves the £3.7 million negotiated design and construction of a three-storey, 36,000
13/07/2007
Bill Robertson, Executive Chairman of Robertson Group Ltd, has been awarded a CBE for his services to the construction industry in Scotland. It’s an appropriate accolade for Robertson who founded the development, construction and services group over 40 years ago at the age of 21. From a jobbing jo
13/07/2007
Electrical contractors from all over Scotland last week found out for the first time how the UK’s impending new wiring regulations are set to shape up at a special presentation staged as part of industry body SELECT’s annual general meeting in Midlothian. SELECT has been thoroughly involved in the
11/07/2007
Dawn Construction, one of Scotland’s leading independent construction and property developers handed over the keys to the Antonine Centre in Cumbernauld following completion of the £40m project. Alan Russell, Project Manager from Dawn Construction, met with Karen Johnston from London and Regional,
11/07/2007
Firms from across Northern Ireland have heard how Dungannon’s McAvoy Group has become one of the UK and Ireland’s leading construction firms through its emphasis on innovation and customer service. The company, which has a turnover of £30 million, hosted a Centre for Competitiveness (CforC) event
11/07/2007
Rising construction product sales during the second quarter signal a quickening in construction growth, according to the Ernst and Young/Construction Products Association Activity Barometer. The second quarter of 2007 records a score of 80 compared to a score of 74 in the first quarter, significan
10/07/2007
Addastone from Addagrip Ltd has just been laid as part of the re-generation programme by Fife Regional Council at Kirkcaldy railway station. Resarf Flooring Ltd, part of The Fraser Bruce Group, was appointed by the main contractor, T&N Gilmartin, to lay 2500 square metres of Addastone with a golden
10/07/2007
A group of leading organisations representing property and planning has called on Gordon Brown to clarify the UK Government’s position on the proposed Planning Gain Supplement (PGS). The PGS proposes to tax the rise in land values created when planning permission is granted. Failure to provide cert
10/07/2007
The development scheme at Hanover Quay in Dublin, designed by O’ Mahony Pike architects, has been named as Best Housing Project at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) annual Architecture Awards. There were nine winning projects, eight of which were presented with awards by Dubli
09/07/2007
Parents in Northern Ireland are being urged to ensure that children do not take unnecessary risks during the summer break by treating local quarries as adventure playgrounds. The appeal comes from CEMEX Ireland in support of the 'Play Safe… Stay Safe' campaign mounted by the Quarry Products Associa
09/07/2007
According to the 2007 Summer Review of the Construction Industry, published by Davis Langdon PKS, one of Ireland’s leading construction cost management firms, there will be 75,000 to 80,000 new house completions during 2007, down from the 93,000 peak in 2006. This will be the first fall in new hous
09/07/2007
A distinguished Gold Standard of Excellence has been awarded to Northern Ireland firm, Patton Homes, in the UK’s most prestigious house builder competitions. The Ballymena-based firm picked up the top award in its category at the annual British Housebuilder Awards in London’s glamorous Savoy Hotel.
03/07/2007
A new procurement network, specialising in building products, is offering social housing providers and other public sector bodies the opportunity to achieve efficiency gains without compromising on quality. LHC Network is free to join and open to any public sector organisation seeking to improve t
03/07/2007
Thomas Mitchell Group has appointed Clive Maxwell as Commercial Director for its private housing division. Clive, who trained as a Quantity Surveyor, has twenty-nine years experience in the construction industry, twenty four of them with major housebuilders. Having worked as a Quantity Surveyor for
03/07/2007
CALA Homes has been selected through a unique competition as only one of 30 architects and developers to develop an environmentally friendly and bespoke housing design in Inverness. The competition, run in conjunction with the Royal Institute of Architects Scotland (RIAS), is part of the Highland H
03/07/2007
Scotland’s trade association for electrical contractors, SELECT, has appointed as its new President and Vice-President two men who each have huge experience of the industry. Glasgow born Douglas Geddes, who succeeds David Smith as President, began as an apprentice with JB MacKenzie’s in Edinburgh i
03/07/2007
Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group, has secured two contracts with a combined value of £6.5 million to construct two new commercial developments in Altens, Aberdeen. The largest value contract involves the £3.7 million negotiated design and construction of a three-storey, 36,000
02/07/2007
Leading Scottish fireplace retailer The Edinburgh Fireplace Gallery has been named Paramount Dealer of Excellence and Dealer of the Year 2007. This prestigious award, which is open to 200 fireplace retailers throughout the UK has been won by the company for the second year running. The award was pr
02/07/2007
Robertson Construction Tayside Limited has started construction work on four out of a total of six primary schools. The primary schools are being built as part of a PPP programme for Dundee City Council, which encompasses six primaries and two secondary schools, and will provide attractive modern fa
02/07/2007
Celebrity builder Tommy Walsh has urged smokers to quit and donate the money they save to help build schools in some of the poorest countries around the world. The new campaign QUIT 2 Build is being launched by QUIT a UK charity that helps smokers to stop, and the charity Build A School. The campa
02/07/2007
Alison Wellman at the West Suffolk College wins best professional student of the year award. Mandy Rix, Centre Administrator for the Suffolk Centre presented a cheque for £100 to Alison at the Annual Prize Giving Ceremony held at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on June 25 2007. Alison completed her Highe
02/07/2007
Martin Chambers, Network Rail’s programme director, has been elected as the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) 104th President. Martin is currently responsible for Network Rail’s £500m redevelopment of Birmingham’s New Street Station. Commenting on his appointment, Martin said, "It is a grea
